


that reeking sewer of my life

by MiniNephthys



Category: End Roll (Video Game)
Genre: Child Abuse, M/M, Request Meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2016-09-19
Packaged: 2018-08-16 01:55:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8082091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/pseuds/MiniNephthys
Summary: “…It’s not like I’d do anything if you just kicked me out.”  “It’s ‘cause you wouldn’t that we’re friends.”





	

Chris can always tell when Russell’s had a really, really bad day.

He doesn’t bother to hide his bruises at all, for one thing. He’ll hide them at school, wearing long sleeves and buttoning up his high collars, but when he’s just in front of Chris, on hot days he’ll roll up his sleeves without caring about the ugly purple marks on his arms.

Chris already knows what his parents are like, Russell explained when Chris asked him about it that one time, and he trusts him not to go run to the police about it and make things worse.

Chris wouldn’t have told on him anyway, but that trust just makes him more determined to do what he can for Russell.

Russell’s not talkative normally, but on bad days he can get even quieter, near silent. Chris remembers Russell telling him that his parents think of him talking at all as ‘talking back’ when they’re in a bad mood.

Sometimes, Chris is grateful that his mom isn’t as bad as that. Sure, she sleeps with married men and all, but she at least tries to pay attention to him too, sometimes, and she’s never hit him.

She’s out with one of those adulterers right now, and Chris doesn’t expect her to be back for another few hours, so when the knock on the door comes it’s either Jehovah’s Witnesses again or Russell. He kind of hopes it’s the former - Russell doesn’t usually come by unless he needs somewhere to hide, and Chris likes messing with the door-to-door people.

It’s Russell. There’s a bruise on his face this time, and Chris can’t help but wince when seeing it.

“Hey, Russell. Need somewhere to hide out?” he asks, getting right to the point.

Russell nods, silently.

“C’mon in. Mom’ll be out for a while, so you can just hang ‘til then,” Chris replies. His mom doesn’t usually have problems with Russell being over to visit, but she does - pretty reasonably - point out that they have no extra space for him to sleep over. Russell leaves when he’s asked to, probably to sleep in that medicine shop instead.

Russell settles himself at their table, and Chris joins him. After a minute of companionable silence, Russell says, “Thank you.”

“Hey, it’s no big deal,” Chris says with a smile. “That’s what friends are for, right? ‘Sides, hardly anybody else would get the kind of stuff we go through. So we’ve gotta stick together, right?”

Russell shakes his head. “You don’t have to do this,” he says. “...It’s not like I’d do anything if you just kicked me out.”

“I know.” Chris gets the impression that Russell’s a bad guy to piss off, but who wouldn’t be, in his situation? “It’s ‘cause you wouldn’t that we’re friends.”

“...Okay,” Russell says.

Chris can tell he isn’t quite convinced, but he’s never been great at explaining stuff. So he moves on. “Have you had dinner yet?” Russell shakes his head. “Mom got paid this week and we just got groceries, so there’s still stuff in the pantry you can have.”

It’ll come out of his own dinner tomorrow, probably. But Russell doesn’t deserve to go hungry any more than he does.

Russell eats the tiniest amount of cereal - he knows their situation too well to have more - and then gets quiet again, sitting at the table next to Chris. After a long silence passes by, Chris is about to say something when he feels Russell’s head slump against his shoulder.

Tired, huh. Can’t blame him.

Chris will just have to stay in this exact position until Russell wakes up. No big deal. It’s a sacrifice anyone would make for their friend.


End file.
